Are concrete soakwells the best option?
Since 2008 we have been installing concrete soakwells in Perth to council regulations. Servicing both the residential and commercial construction industry and private clients we can cater to any project.
Access, volume required, available space and cost will determine the suitability of concrete soakwells for the job at hand.
Concrete soakwells are NOT superior to polypropylene soakwells based on construction material alone as they are both trafficable at the same rating. In fact polypropylene soakwells have a larger percentage of void space for equivalent volumes.
When are concrete soakwells the right choice ?
There are two main reasons why concrete soakwells could be preferred over polypropylene soakwells.
Advantages over polypropylene soakwells
- Concrete soakwell's can be accessed for cleaning through the grate in the cover. Essential when collecting water from the ground (eg. carparks).
- When a catchment area exceeds 300 m2, if there is good access and available space, concrete soakwells become more cost effective to supply and install larger volumes.
EXAMPLE - A 9 tonne excavator can install a 4580 litre, 1800 x 1800 soakwell relatively quickly and easily in a 2m x 2m area. This is equivalent to 33 polypropylene soakwells (at 100% volume), that would take more space, time and money to install.
When performing scheduled soakwell maintenance a machine can easily remove natural material that enters the soakwell, through the grate in the cover. For this reason we prefer grated concrete soakwells over channel drains for driveways and carparks.
Email us your plans and we will determine your volume requirements, mark up your plan and provide you with a quote.
Tip! - A common misconception is concrete soakwells are stronger than polypropylene soakwells when in fact they are considered equal for normal road traffic (Class C Trafficable).
Using the right equipment for the job
Using the right size excavator is critical for safety. For each project we ensure we are well within the capability of the machines
- 3.5t excavator for 1200 soakwells,
- 5t excavator for 1500 soakwells,
- 9t excavator for 1800 dia soakwells.
Generally polypropylene soakwells are preferred over concrete soakwells smaller than 1200mm, unless being used in a carpark or driveway for surface runoff.
Spoil Removal
The amount of sand left over often comes as a surprise to some people as it is the volume of the soakwells, plus another 40% due to it not being compact.
As part of our service we also offer spoil removal from site using bobcat and truck.
If you plan on installing your own soakwells please visit our Do It Yourself Soakwells™ website for more information.
General Information
All About Soakwells is a Perth based Western Australian business that installs and supplies soakwells and stormwater products for new and established homes.
All our work is based on stormwater calculations. Try our soakwell calculator tool.
We also install drainage for units and driveways, pool backwash systems and spoon drains.
We do not recommend PVC soakwells in Perth as they are non trafficable, provide inadequete volume and are made obsolete by polypropylene soakwells.
The number of soakwells required to meet council requirements for volume generally means that there is insuffcient space to maintain the required 1.5 - 1.8 metres from any boundary or footing down the sides of most properties.
